Feed-regulator.



W. B. NEWLON.

FEEL) REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. i914.

1,233,1 10. Patented Ju1y10,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. B. NEWLON.

FEED REGULATOR. APPLlcA'TmN FILED APH. so, m4.

Patented July 10, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Unesses www Jig/ZM@ .Inventor W. B. NEWLON.

FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION min APR. so. 1914.

Patentd July 10, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Inventor 'witnesses am. M

w. B. NEVI/LON. FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1914. 1,233,1 10. Patented July 10, 1917,.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

utnesses @MMM m Z/Qm@ yX/MMM@t WLLHMVI NETJLGN, OF FREEVONT, NEBR MEiD, OF CENTE/A ll-.SF '2., SSIGNOR OF ONEHALF` TO GEORGE L CITY, NEBRASKA.

FEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial No. 835,405.

To all Iwhom t may concern:

it known that l, .Vinraair B. NnwLoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Feed-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for supl@ plying ingredients to a mixture.

lt is especially adapted for use in the manufacture of cattle feeds wherein molasses or other liquid is mixed with alfalfa or other meal. lt is to be understood, however, J that the use of the invention is not li iited to such application. On the contrary it might be advantageously employed in the mixing of concrete or cement or in multitude of other uses.

rllhe object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described whereby the ingredients are efficiently and accurately supplied in the desired proportions.- Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

the accompanying illustrate the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying the invention;

drawings, which 3o Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1, but viewed from the opposite side;

Fig. 53 is an end view of the apparatus viewed as indicated by the arrow L of Fig. 1; Fig. Llis an elevation of the other end of the apparatus; D

ig is a longitudinal section on the line 5;.5 of Fig. 4;;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of tripping means, as will be hereinafter d to;

'. 7 is an end view of the same, looking direction of the arrow of 6;

. S is a top plan iiew of the same;

. 9 is an elevation of a latching means ecuring a clutch member, as will be iafter explained;

Fi 10 is a side elevation of the apparatus in Fig. 9;

a (retail view of a portion of of oneA of the receptacles;

a detail view of a valve secura' 1ing means;

Y detail, showing the a range- .s and valve operating means;

L 'alve Fig. 1a is an enlarged view, illustrating the relative formation and location of a roller and cam, as will be hereinafter referred to; and

Fig. is a view on an enlarged scale, of a device for completing the movement of and holding the material feeding means.

F ig. 1G is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 5 showing in enlarged detail the inlet valve for the receptacles;

Fig. 17 is an end view of Fig. 16 looking in arrow;

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 16, of the exit valves of the receptacles; and

19 is a section on the line 15)#19 of Fig. 18.

The detail views, Figs. 7 to 13 inclusive, are drawn on a larger scale than the other gures. i

Referring to the drawings, the granular material or meal is placed in the hopper From this hopper the granular material is fed into boxes or receptacles B and C, which are controlled by inlet and outlet valves. rFliese boxes may move up and down, the weight of the material tending to force them downwardly, while suitable means, as the weight arms D and E tend to force the boxes upwardly.

As a boX is fed with material from the hopper, it will sink, as thel material in the box overcomes the weight arm, and will abut against a mechanism F which will then operate to unlatch a clutch G. rhe clutch will then move into engagement and cause the driving of the shaft H through the gears l from the shaft l, which is continuously driven by suitable means, as the pulley wheel L.

From the shaft l-l extends a lever mechanism M which drives the inlet and exit valves of the boxes or receptacles B and C.

To supply the iiuid ingredient, such as molasses, a

of the apparatus the direction of the pump N is provided, having the supply pipe O and delivery pipe P. This pump is dr'ven from the shaft H, which operates the inlet and outlet valves. rlhe apparatus referred to is mounted in a suitable frame R.

The operation of the apparatus may be briefly reviewed as follows:

A given receptacle having its inlet valve open and its exit valve closed, the meal will pour in from the hopper until it over- Cin comes the opposed weight arm. The box will then sink and permit the pump and valve operating shaft to be thrown into driving relation to the pulle f. The countershaft from which the valves and pumps are driven will then make one-half a revolution (devices being provided for so limiting its movement, as will be hereinafter described). This movement will suffice to close the inlet valve of the sunken receptacle and open its exit valve when its ycharge will be precipitated into a suit-able mixing receptacle, which is also adapted to receive the molasses delivered by the pump. The box which received the material from the hopper, having been relieved of its weight, will rise. The amount of material contained in the b'ox at which it will sink may be adju'sted by adjusting the weight on the arm.

At the same t-ime that the inlet valve of one of the receptacles was closed, as just referred to, the inlet valve of the other was opened and the opening of the exit valveof the first will be accompanied by a closing of the exit valve of the other, so that while the sunken receptacle is discharging its contents, the other is being filled, and will, in its turn, sink, and set in operation the valve operating means and the pump, as described. There is thus an alternate filling and emptying of the Itwo receptacles, 'the emptying of each occurring upon a predetermined amount of material fed into it, and such emptying is accompanied by the :delivery of a predetermined amount of liquid supplied by the pump. The operation thus goes on indeiinitely, without the intervention of any manual operation, the operations of the liquid and granular feeding means -being dependent upon each other, so that proper relative operation, 'timing and proportioning of the mixture is assured.

Referring now to the apparatus of the drawings, more in detail, the receptacles B and C may each move up and down, bei-ng guided in their movement by anti-friction wheels l .and 2 respectively at their corners. The .receptacles are suspended by means of links 8 and et, these links being on opposite sides of .their respective receptacles. In the case of receptacle C, the links et are pivoted at their lower ends to the receptacle near its bottom and at their upper ends are pivoted to the bifurcated or Y-shaped lever 5 lpivoted to the fra-me at 6, the non-bifurcated arm having a weight 7 which counter balances the receptacle C and its contents, the amount of material at which the receptacle will lower being adjustable by means of the shifting of the 'weight 7 along' the arm. Similarly the receptacle B has :its supporting links 4 pivoted to its lower end and to the bifurcated lever 8 having the weight arm vupon which is the weight 9.

Tubes or sleeves 10 and 11 extend downwardly from'the hopper A and telescope within the upper ends of the receptacles B and C. The material for the hopper is thus always directed into the receptacles withoutspilling, and relative upand down movement of the receptacles with relation to the hopper is permitted.

rlhe inlet of material from the hopper into the receptacle is controlled bynneans of a valve 12 which slides over the upper ends of the sleeves l0 and 11. In the structure shown, a single valve l2 is employed -topcontrol the inlet to both receptacles, this valve sliding 'on angle irons as 12a and 12b secured to the fram-e. When thevalve is moved to open the inlet theinlet to the receptacle G and vice versa. The exit of material from receptacles E and C is controlled by two valves 13 and 1l connected together by a rod 15 which at each of its yendsis pivoted to Yone Vof the valves. The valves 13 and 14 form substantially the bottoms of their respective receptacles and are carriedA 'on guides formed of angle irons, one pair on each receptacle on `opposite sides thereof, as 18a and 13b on receptacle C. These angle irons extend across the bottom of the receptacle and each has one sidey secured -to the bottom of the receptacle, the other yside of each 4of the angle irons extending inwardly beneath the receptacle and forming a guide for the support of the valve. The manner in which the valve is supported 'on the angle iron is show-n clearly in Figs. 12 and 19, from which it will be seen that the valve slides on the bottom of the angle iron and is supported by bent up por'tions 16 which overlap the angle iron. These angle irons extend, not only across the receptacle, but extend to one side of 'the receptacle a suici-ent distance to afford supports for the valve when it has been slid Vout from V'beneath the bottom of the receptacle to open the exit.

Both 'o'f the receptacles discharge into the chute 17.

The inlet andexit valves of the receptacle Vare operated vby a link mechanism as follows z-To the gear 18 upon the shaft H is pivoted at one end a driving rod 19. At its other end this driving rod is pivoted to a link Q0. This 'link 20 is also pivoted to the frame at 21. Also pivoted to the link 20 at 22 is avlink Q3. rllhis link is also pivoted .at 24 to the lever Q5 which is pivoted to the frame at 26. At its lower end the lever 25 is pivoted to the link 27, which in turn is pivoted to the valve 13 at 28. With the arrangement of pivots as described, it will be apparent that the valves '13 and ld are always connected together by the rod 15, so as to be moved together, the one into exit closing position when the other is moved into exit opening position, and that these valves may to the receptacle B, it closes beY operated at any time, by

Cit

moving the link 27, without in any way interfering with the movement of the valves up and down with the receptacles to which they are attached. To operate the inlet controlling valve, a link 29 pivoted at one end, at 30, to the valve 12, is pivoted at the other end to an extension of the link 20. Tt will now be apparent that when the link 2O is drawn to the left (as viewed in IFig. 1) the valve 30 will be drawn to the left and close the inlet to the receptacle B. This same movement, however, will force the link 2t to the left and cause the valve 13 to move to uncover the exit of receptacle B, while the valve 14e will close the eXit of receptacle C. A movement of the link in the opposite direction will operate to close the inlet to receptacle C and open that to receptacle B and also open the eXit to the receptacle C and close that of the receptacle B.

A tripping mechanism for throwing the valves into operation according to the amount of material'in a receptacle, is provided, and in the apparatus shown, is as follows1-An arm 31 is pivoted to the frame at 32 and is normally held in an elevated position by a spring 33. Fixed to the arm 31 so as to turn with it about the pivotal axis 32, is an arm 34 which is pivoted to a link 35. The link 35 is in turn pivoted at 36 to an angular arm 37 which is pivoted to the frame, or an extension thereof, at 3S. The end 39 of the arm 37 is adapted to be raised and lowered by thrusts or pulls upon the f link 35 to control the operation of the inlet and exit valves of the receptacles and also the operation of the pumpV for supplying the fluid, as will be hereinafter more particularly referred to. The extremity 39 is of peculiar construction, in order to enable it to perform its function. This construction is shown on an enlarged scale and more in detail in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. Referring more particularly to these figures, the arm 37 is pivoted to the frame at 38 through the in strumentality of an offsetting arm 40 fixed to the frame. To the end of the arm 37 is fixed an arm 41 which provides an oiset in which a dog L12 may turn on its pivot 43 in the end of the arm 37. This dog has its outer' and lower edge cut back at an angle, as shown at elet, and is pressed outwardly by a spring 45. This construction permits a give of the dog, so that it will be pressed tightly against a cooperative clutch latch, to be hereinafter described, without requiring nicety of adjustment. Also it will enable the dog to give and the latch to slip above the dog, provided the latch should be in the way when the end 39 of the arm 37 is lowered. The arm 31 is depressed by the ear 1G or '-17 attached to the receptacles B and C abutting the arm in the downward travel of either receptacle and the downward movement of the arm is accompanied by an upward movement of the end 39 of the arm 37, which unlatches the clutch.

The driving and controlling means of the receptacle valves and of the pump, will now be described. The gear 18 is fixed upon the counter-shaft H, upon which also is fixed a disk 13. The counter-shaft is suitably journaled in the frame. lifeshing with the gear 1S is a gear L19, upon the shaft K. This gear, when unclutched, lis free to turn upon the shaft l, but is held against longitudinal movement thereon. Fixed to this gear 9 is a clutch member 50 adapted to cooperate with the clutch member 51 which is fixed against turning on the shaft K, but is slidable longitudinally thereon. A spring 52 tends to force thel clutch member 51 into engagement with the clutch member 50. TWhen so engaged, the gear i9 is driven with the shaft and turns the gear 18.

The member 51 has a circular' groove 53 within which a latch 5i may enter to move the clutch member longitudinally, but which will not interfere with its rotation. The latch 5a is slidably mounted on the yoke which is pivoted to the frame at 56. The arrangement of the latch is shown more in detail and on an enlarged scale in Figs. 9 and 10. The latch 54: is secured to the yoke, but permitted to slide thereon by means of the headed studs 55 and 56 which project through the slots 57 and 58, the studs being fixed to the yoke. The lower end of the latch 59 is adapted to fit into the groove 53 in the clutch member and a spring 60v presses the latch downwardly. Projecting from the latch member 54 is the nose 61, the bottom face of which is horizontal, but the upper side is slanted back, as shown. This nose is adapted to hook over the dog l2 at the extremity of the arm 37, so that when this dog is elevated by the depression of one of the receptacles B or C as above described, the latch 511 will be lifted out of the groove in the clutch member That member will then be thrown by the spring 52 into engagement with the other member and the gearing placed in driving connection with the shaft K The slanted upper surface of the nose 61 permits the extremity 39 to move downwardly with facility, even though the nose may be in the pat-h of its movement. The spring G2 is interposed between the yoke 55 and the frame and tends to force the yoke toward the gearing and nose (31 away from the dog lf2. On the back of the yoke 55 is a bracket G3 within which is rotatably mounted a roller (Si. This roller is adapted to ride upon projections 65 and 66, located upon the gear 18 on opposite sides thereof. As tne roller rides upon one of these projections or cams, the yoke 5i is thrown to the left (as viewed in Fig. 4) so that the nose 61 overlaps the Y pump will be effected.

dog 42. When the roller rolls oif of the projection, the spring 62 forces vthe yoke toward the right. The roller 64 and the slanting surface of the projection on the gear wheel whereby the roller mounts upon the projection, is illustrated on an enlarged scale in Fig. 14

Extending from the disk 48 to which it is pivoted, is a driving rod 67, which is pivoted at 68 to the piston rod 69 of the pump N. This pump is a suitable duplex pump and it will be apparent that for each half revolution of the disk 48, one stroke vof the ln one side of the disk or wheel 48 is a Vshaped notch 70 having a relatively long incline 71 upon one side, thus causing a bump or cam surface 72 upon the periphery of the disk. Rolling upon the periphery of the disk is a roller 73 rotatably mounted upon a slide 74 in a fixed bracket 75. A spring 76 interposed between the bracket and the slide forces the roller against the periphery of the wheel. As .the disk 48 revolves, the roller 73 will ride upon the bump 72, the spring 76 will be compressed and as the roller passes the shoulder 77, on the high side of the notch, the sprinowill force the roller against the incline A71, which will tend to turn the disk, until the roller reaches the bottom of the notch. It will then take considerable force to dislodge the roller from the notch, with the result that the disk will be held in a fixed position,

unless a considerable force applied with the determination to move it, is exerted. There is a notch, as described, on each of the opposite sides of the disk 48. The object of having the spring and roller complete the movement of the disk and hold it firmly in position after its movement is completed, is for vthe purpose of insuring that the members of the clutch Gr will be i moved beyond all possibility of accidental feo engagement and will beso held, so long as it is desired to keep the clutch open. The long` inclines, as 71, on the sides of the notches, are so located with relation to the cams or projections 65 and 66, upon the gear 18, that the roller 73 will occupy the position as shown in dotted lines in Fig 15 (that is, just starting down the incline) just before the roller 64 has mounted to the top of its projection on the gear, as ind-icated in Fig. 14, and the clutch is so adjusted, that in this position of the parts, the clutch members will be just disengaged. This being the case, the pressure of the roller 73 upon the incline 71 of the notch inthe disk 48 will turn the shaft l-l with the gear 18, so that the roller 64 will ride to the top of the projection on the gear wheel, thereby disengaging the clutch members and they will be so held by the engagement yof the roller lin the V notch. Without such a provision, the gear wheel and its shaft H would stop as soon as the clutch members barely cleared each other, so that the driving connection was broken, and

they might accidentally engage again suifimaterial placed in the hopper A, one of the receptacles will begin to lill, and when it has attained a weight sufficient to overbalance the counter-balancing weight, it will sink and depress the arm 31. This will elevate the extremity 39 of the arm 37. At this time the roller 64 will be upon the top of one of the projections 65 or 66, the yoke 55 will be thrown to the left (Fig. 4) so that the nose 61 will engage the dog 42. rlhe latch 54 will then be groove 53 of the clutch member 51, so that this clutch member will be out of engagement with its cooperating member, the gear 49 will not turn with the shaft K, the gear 18 will be motionless and will be held in such position by reason of the roller 64 resting in the bottom of the V slot in the disk 48. .Vhen the arm carrying the dog 42 rises, however, in response to the sinking of one of the receptacles, the latch 54 will be elei vated by the nose 61 out of the groove 53. Clutch member 51 will then be forced to the right (Fig. 4) by the spring 62, into engagement with the member 50, when the gear 49 will be locked to the shaft K. The gear H will then revolve, driving the pump and also the link 19 for operating the controlling valves for the receptacles. As soon as the gear 18 has moved through a few degrees, the roller 64 will roll off the cam on the gear when the yoke 55 will be forced to the right by the spring62 and the latch 54 will snap into the groove 53 in the clutch member. Wlhen the gear 18 has made substantially a half revolution, however, the roller 64 will ride upon the other projection on the other side of the gear wheel, and the yoke 55 will thereby be forced to the left (Fig. 4) carrying the clutch member 51 with it, the

clutch being disengaged just before the roller 64 reaches the top of the projection, as has been before described. The roller 73 and spring 76 then come into play upon the inoline 71 of the notch in the wheel 48 and complete the movement of the gear 18 and move the clutch member 51 out of any possibility of accidental engagement, and the nose 61 then overlaps the dog 42 in readiness to be lifted again by the dog 42 in response to the sinking of one of the receptacles.

within the circular .Vhile the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application, itmay have other embodiments, Without departinoV from its spirit, and is therefore not limited to the construction shovvn in the drawings.

lvThat l claim is:

l. lviieans tor supplying material compris- 'iig a movable receptacle 'for said material, means tor opposing the movement of said eceptacle under the Weight of material herein., means for controlling exit of matexial 'from said receptacle, continuously running driving means for operating the said controlling means, and means controlled by the nmvement ot said re eptacle tor connecting the exit controlling means in driving relation to said driving means.

Q. lvleans for supplying material, comprising a plurality ot' receptacles for said material, each of said receptacles movable under the Weight ot material supplied thereto, means opposing such movement ot the receptacle, valves controlling the inlets and exits oi said receptacles, the inlet of one being closed vvhen the other is opened, the exitot one being closed vvhen the other is opened and the inlet ot each being closed when its exit is opened, a continuously operating driving means, a clutch for connecting said driving means with the inlet and exit controlling valves, and means operated by the movement et said receptacles Jfor controlling said clutch.

8. Means 'for supplying material, comprising a plurality of receptacles for said material, valves controlling the inlets and exits ot' said receptacles, the inlet ot one being closed when the other is opened, the exit oit one being closed when the other is opened and the inlet oi each being closed when its exit is opened, a continuously operating driving means, a clutch for connecting said driving means vvith the inlet and exit controlling valves, and means operated by the amount of material in said receptacles for controlling said clutch.

a. "n a mixing apparatus, the combination with a moving receptacle for delivering granular material to the mixture, of a pump for delivering fluid material to said mixture, means for opposing movement of said receptacle under the Weight of material in it, means for controlling the exit of material from said receptacle, continuously operating means for driving said pump and said exit controlling means, means including a clutch for operatively connecting said pump and exit controlling means with said driving means, and means operated by the movenent ot' said receptacle for operating said clutch.

5. In a mixing apparatus, the combination with a movable receptacle -tor delivering granular material to the mixture, of a pump JSor delivering tiuid material to thc mixture, means llo: opposing movement of the reeptacle under the Weight of material in it, valve mechanism tor controlling the exit of material from said receptacle, valve niechanism for controlling the inlet ot material to said receptacle, continuously operating means for driving said pump and said valve mechanisms, operating connections for said valve mechanisms, operating connections for said pump, a. clutch Jrior connecting said opcrating connections vvith said driving means, and means operated by said receptacle for operating said clutch.

6. ln a material supplying apparatus, the combination vvith a plurality of individually movable receptacles tor supplying a granular ingredient to a mixture, a pump for supplying a fluid ingredient to said mixture therefor, valve mechanism controlling said receptacles to alternately charge and discharge the same. means for driving said valve mechanism and pump, and means operated by the Weight ot material in one receptacle to connect said valve mechanism and said pump vvith said driving means.

Signed at Fremont, in the county or Dodge `and State ot Nebraska, this 27th day ot April A.. D. 1914-.

lNLLlAM B. NEl/VLON. lVitnesses Grossa E. Locxn, JOHN C. Namen.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. U. 

